Uses of Corn
Corn (Zea mays L.) is an important crop used as a human food source, animal feed, and as a raw material in industry. The food uses of corn, in addition to the human consumption of corn kernels, include products of both the dry milling and wet milling industries. The principal products of dry milling include grits, meal and flour. The principal products of wet milling include starch, syrups and dextrose. A byproduct of both dry and wet milling is corn oil, which is recovered from corn germ. As an animal feed, corn is used primarily as a feedstock for beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, poultry and fish.
Industrial uses of corn mainly consist of the use of corn starch produced by wet milling and corn flour produced by dry milling and the whole kernel fermentation for production of food-grade and industrial use ethanol. The industrial applications of corn starch and flour are based on their functional properties, such as viscosity, film formation ability, adhesiveness, absorbent properties and ability to suspend particles. Corn starch and flour are used in the paper and textile industries and as components in adhesives, building materials, foundry binders, laundry starches, sanitary diapers, seed treatments, explosives and oil-well muds. Plant parts other than the corn kernels are also used in industry. For example, stalks and husks can be made into paper and wallboard, and corn cobs can be used for fuel and to make charcoal and a source of furfural.